Headlines & Stuff August 8, 2014

Written by: Christy Wise

Here are some cool things we read about this past week:

Twitter Launches New Advertising Options
Twitter is remodeling the way it charges advertisers. Twitter currently receives payments if a user interacts in any way with its sponsored ads. This includes retweets, replies, “favorites,” and clicks. Twitter is now introducing a new fee structure that gives advertisers the option to pay based on performance. For instance, a retail store may choose to pay Twitter only when a user clicks through to its website to view a fall collection. Other options include paying specifically when an advertiser gets new followers, has its app downloaded, or gets a user email address.

Facebook Bans Incentivizing Users to Like Pages
Facebook announced two important changes this week to its Platform Policies under games and proper use. The first requires that games which include mandatory or optional in-app charges must now disclose in their app’s description, either on Facebook or other platforms it supports. The second, bans users from incentivizing people to use social plugins or to like a Page. This includes offering rewards, or gating apps or app content based on whether or not a person has liked a Page. It remains acceptable to incentivize people to login to your app, checkin at a place or enter a promotion on your app’s Page.

Facebook Starts Building Ad Links to Instagram
Instagram is conducting a test with Mercedes-Benz that allows the luxury car brand to effectively target Facebook users who previously saw one of its Instagram ads. Brands will soon be able to use Instagram and Facebook to work their way up the purchase funnel. One of the purposes of a test like this is to A/B creative on Facebook and Instagram and glean insight into what images perform better on each platform.

Uber Unveils UberPool
Uber announced a testing option that enables users to split fares on rides with strangers who are traveling on a similar route. UberPool works like the regular Uber service, except it pairs users up with another rider, and notifies them of their co-rider’s first name.

Global Social Media

The new law requiring Russian bloggers to register as media entities and hold themselves to the same standards as full media organizations has come into effect this week. The law is applicable to all blogs that manage to attract more than 3,000 unique visitors per day. Bloggers will need to register with relevant authorities and will be required to cite their physical location. Bloggers will also be required to do more fact-checking before publishing. They are not allowed to use obscene language or produce material that incites criticism from its online audience. Bloggers that don’t comply will be slapped with a fine of between 10,000 and 30,000 rubles ($80 – $840 US).

Noteworthy Campaigns

Tinder Hijacked to Help Rescue Dogs Get Adopted
Tinder is doing 750 million swipes per day and over 10 million matches per day, with close to a billion total matches since it’s founding in 2012. The average users spends about 60 minutes per day on Tinder, and logs in around seven times. 3.9 million dogs enter animal shelters each year. Like people searching for relationships on Tinder, these animals are searching for caregivers. To raise awareness, and ideally, make some matches, animal rescue organization Social Tees hijacked Tinder. Profiles and photos were created for 10 adoptable dogs, with their age manipulated so they would show up as matches for Tinder users. So far, over 1,500 matches have been made, though the number of dogs adopted based on the hijacking has not been confirmed. Some Tinder users expressed outrage over the initiative via Twitter. Though most think it’s for a worthy cause – especially because 1.2 million dogs each year are euthanized.